Karjat is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and located in Raigad district. It is an extended suburb of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, with a population of 212,051.With several engineering, pharmacy, mass media and advertising institutes driving it economically, Karjat is also the home of hill station Matheran and several treks, including Bhimashankar. It is a beautiful, scenic and hilly hamlet which is centrally located and directly connected by roads branching out to Murbad, Kalyan, Shahpur and Kasara Ghat on one side and Khapoli, Khalpur, Neral, Ambarnath, Badlapur, Panvel and Pen on the other. The entire Karjat-Kasara belt is dotted with farmhouses and agricultural fields.Karjat is among the most preferred weekend destinations for residents of Mumbai, Pune and other urban areas in proximity. The availability of land parcels at low rates has made it conducive for affordable housing, and it now caters to the residential requirements of the Low Income Group and Middle Income Group

Low land prices make it conducive for affordable housing

Business Standard

In case of project delays, the entire EMI burden might fall on buyers' shoulders

Avoid new versions of 80:20 schemes

One popular "investment theory" heard at South Mumbai cocktail parties is: 1) India will be the fastest growth  emerging market (EM) for the next few years. 2) Hence, any global financial institution with EM allocations must invest in India. 3) These investments guarantee a buoyant stock market. 4) The bull market will therefore continue, unless the government does something stupid, or a "black swan" event like a big terrorist attack, or a war, derails all expectations.Take those statements in order. The first is very likely, correct. India might or might not achieve current projections. But it should outperform other big EMs. China and Indonesia are in slowdown, Brazil and South Africa are stagnating. Russia has negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth. The second statement might not be true. Most FIs are near full-weight on India allocations. Many are India-overweight. They do not need to invest any more to maintain India weights in EM allocations. The third statement has some

Govt's focus should have been on the low-hanging fruit

Taxpayers might face several issues while filing returns this year

Keep income-tax forms simple

Interview with Managing director and co-founder, Motilal Oswal Financial Services

Don't be a punter: Raamdeo Agrawal

BS Reporter

It could mean having to prolong work life and putting money in risky investment options

Don't miss retirement goals for children's higher education

Business Standard analyses one family's finances and suggests a way forward

Case study

Business Standard brings you a snapshot of average current rates and unit sizes in localities that offer property in a price range of Rs 3.5-4 crore. If you are looking at buying real estate and your budget falls within this range, an idea about prevailing rates would come in handy

Realty check

Purchase a coin as token otherwise given gold's bleak outlook for some time, it doesn't make sense to invest or buy itThis year, clients of Bengaluru-based financial planner Anil Rego have not yet asked him for advice on whether they should buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya. Given Indians' general love for gold, this lack of interest might seem surprising as the festival, on the coming Tuesday, is considered an auspicious occasion to buy gold. Or, maybe not, given how returns from gold have fallen over the past couple of years."Gold should be part of your asset allocation. While equities will always do better than gold in the long run, having gold along with equities will reduce the risk in your portfolio and improve the returns," Rego says.Naveen Mathur, associate director, commodities & currencies, Angel Broking, also recommends having gold as part of your investment portfolio at all times. "Investors should have 10-15 per cent of their portfolio in gold at all times because it is a ri

Don't buy gold on Akshaya Tritiya

These are ideal for investors in the highest tax bracket. Those paying lower tax might be better off with debt MFs, non-convertible debentures or even bank FDs

Minimise re-investment risk through tax-free bonds

Suppose I physically give a cheque to invest in a scheme. Will I get the units with the same day's NAV (net asset value)? What is the cut-off time within which to invest? Is the process any different if the transaction is done online? If you give a valid application up to the cut-off time with an amount less than Rs 2 lakh, along with a local cheque or a demand draft payable at par at the place where the application is received, the closing NAV of the day on which application is received shall be applicable. If the amount is more than Rs 2 lakh, the closing NAV of the day on which the funds are available for utilisation shall apply.The cut-off time for transaction of all schemes, except liquid schemes is 3 pm. In respect of valid applications after the cut-off time, the closing NAV of the next business day shall apply.For liquid schemes, the cut-off time is 2 pm and the funds should be available before the cut-off time, to qualify for the closing NAV of the business day immediately pre

Mutual Fund: Nimesh Shah

Limitations, decided the State & National Commissions, begin from the date of possessionPashabai Patel Co-operative Society had a building constructed on its property at Vadodara through builders Bhagyodaya Commercial Complex Private Ltd. The new building was named Bhagyodaya Tower No. 1. Various persons had purchased flats in this tower. Each purchaser paid the builder Rs 5 towards membership fee and Rs 250 for issuance of share certificates in the Society.The society failed to issue share certificates. Aggrieved, purchasers came together under the banner of Bhagyodaya Tower No. 1 Association. Mahendrabhai Shah was appointed legal committee member, who took the help of Jagrup Nagrik Grahak Mandal for filing a consumer complaint on behalf of the 72 purchasers.After an earthquake in the area on January 26, 2001, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation instructed all multi-storied buildings to obtain a stability certificate from a structural engineer. It also directed them to provide for

Consumers can lose if complaints are delayed

Can you think of buying a product online without getting to compare the prices on Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal and others?

Maiming the net?

Given a reasonable monsoon, food inflation should remain moderate

Inflation data point to more rate cuts

Car owners might see faster claim settlement, with the insurance regulator proposing an increase in the limit for hiring external insurance surveyors. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has proposed that the limit for appointing external surveyors be increased to Rs 50,000 for motor claims and Rs 1 lakh for other claims. Now, to settle claims up to these amounts, general insurance companies need not have to appoint an external surveyor. It can be done by an in-house surveyor. The earlier limit was Rs 20,000 for all kinds of claims. The new rule has both advantages and disadvantages, say experts.The biggest advantage is that claims can be settled faster. According to Chandan Grover, vice-president, Risk Management and Claims, Prudent Insurance Brokers, with many customers buying high-end cars there has been an increase in the average amount of claims. But, due to the lower limit, insurance companies had to wait for external surveyors' assessment before s

Car owners may see faster claim settlement

When seeking alimony, a woman should opt for lump sum payment rather than monthly as it is more tax-efficient

For marriages not made in heaven

Kuldip Kumar, partner and leader personal tax, PwC India, answers your questionsI'm planning an interest-free personal loan from my office for an emergency. Since the money will be credited into my salary account, will I have to pay any tax on it? Or is it better to take a personal loan, since there is no tax on it?There is no tax on money borrowed from an employer. However, when the employer gives an interest-free loan to an employee, then the notional interest is considered taxable benefit in the hands of an employee. The notional interest is calculated by applying the interest rate the State Bank of India charges for similar loans. The value of taxable benefit is determined by applying the above rate on the maximum monthly dues loan balance as on the last day of the relevant month(s). However, if the loan granted by the employer is below Rs 20,000 or the loan is granted for medical treatment of specified diseases, no taxable benefit is considered for notional interest. Regarding you

Taxation: Kuldip Kumar

Medavakkam is among the top developing localities in Chennai. It is surrounded by key localities such as Velachery, Pallikaranai, OMR and GST Road. Social and physical infrastructure has been strengthened in the region. Medavakkam has the advantage of wider interior roads and provides connectivity to all important regions of Chennai.Medavakkam is also an attractive investment destination, as it has excellent connectivity to employment hubs, key city centres and the airport. Beside, it has numerous affordable housing options, with support infrastructure.Supported by real estate drivers such as planned development, availability of premium office spaces and  land, and access to social infrastructure, Medavakkam is set to witness significant price appreciation. With the proposal for a monorail and the future metro rail corridor, the region is likely to have a spur in real estate growth.Medavakkam has plenty of options for investment in the residential sector, primarily from apartments and

Good connectivity, infra make for an attractive investment destination

Imagine a game where the referee gives a sweater or an air-cooling shirt to one player and he has to wear it for some time. The rule is that the player can pre-decide the time for which he will wear the sweater (to increase his body temperature) or the air-cooling shirt (to reduce his body temperature), after which the player's body temperature becomes applicable to the entire stadium.The time for which the player has to wear the sweater or the air-cooling shirt is supposed to be pre-decided by the player himself and that time period has to be shared by the player with the referee before the start of the match. But the public in the stadium are kept in the dark about what the player has pre-decided about this time period.Now, the game begins. It is a hot summer month when the player receives the first sweater and completely disregarding the rule set by himself of waiting for a pre-decided time, he immediately passes on the increased body temperature to the entire stadium, making everyb

The game of sweaters and air-cooled shirts

While looking at these stocks, you should bear in mind cyclical nature of fuel supply-demand matrix

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